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According to my personal fantasy universe, Cassandra was not born in Troy. She was a Babylonian priestess who ended up in Troy after a series of weird circumstances related to the battle of Kadesh and she was adopted by King Priam and became known as his daughter. If you want to read the details, they are here, but the story that follows doesn't mention Cassandra's birthplace and so it is compatible with the standard version. (image from Marvel Comics)
Over time, I had learned the science of how to summon ghosts from Hell. That required some weird spells and rare materials, but it seemed to work and one of my first attempts resulted in the summoning of Cassandra, the Trojan prophetess, who told me the story of her life. Some time later, I was surprised to see her appearing all of a sudden in front of me without having done anything.
Oh...Lady Cassandra, it is you! You scared me.
I am sorry, you see, ghosts normally come unannounced; really, there is no way...
Well, yes, I understand. See, you are all bluish and transparent...
That's the way ghosts are.
Yes, I suppose that's true. But don't worry, it is a pleasure to see you again.
Oh, well, it is nice to be here again. See, the Goddess seems to like you enough that she sent me here one more time. And she makes me speak this funny language.... you call it Ingliss, right?
Something like that, lady. It is a language I can understand.
But why don't you call me just Cassandra? Do you have to be so formal?
Well, after all you are the daughter of King Priam. You are a princess.
Hmmm..... there are many stories about me. But when we move to the other side, I mean, to Hades, there are no more princes or princesses.
I think I understand.
Hades is not a nice place. It is boring, too. So, I am happy to be here. And if you like to call me Lady Cassandra, it is fine with me. But how have you been doing?
Not so well, Lady.
Still the same problem you were telling me last time, right?
Yes, you remember what we said last time. We call it climate change.
You told me about that. It is really a big problem. And you say it is getting worse?
Much worse.
And your kings are doing nothing, right?
I would say so, Lady. Our, well, let's call them 'kings', are doing nothing. They don't even recognize that the problem exists.
But you told me that already. Did something change?
Yes, two years ago, something happened. The envoys of many of these, as you said, 'kings', got together in a city called Paris.....
Paris? Like one of King Priam's sons?
No, Lady Cassandra, not that Paris. It is the name of a city North of here. And these envoys agreed on doing something against this curse that befell us. To change things; to stop the curse of climate change. And the kings who had sent them agreed on that and they signed a pact that bound together almost all the people in the world.
That seems to have been something very good.
Yes, it was good. And also, one of our religious leaders, we call him the Pope, he wrote something about this big problem of climate change we have.
Your great priest. Maybe the Goddess spoke to him?
I am not sure about that, Lady.
Well, the Goddess speaks to everybody, even to a male priest, although she prefers female ones.
Again, Lady, I am not sure about that. But what the Pope said was very wise. And he also said that people should get together and do something about climate change. That was before the pact of Paris, and some said that it was one of the reasons why the kings agreed on the pact.
That was good, too. But you said that something bad happened afterward?
Yes, one of our leaders.... let me call him a king. The most powerful king of all. He has carrot-colored hair, and he is burly, arrogant, and obnoxious.
That's the way kings are.
Yes, maybe you know kings better than me. Anyway, this king went to see the Pope and the Pope told him about what - well - about what maybe the Goddess had told him. But this king said he didn't care about the Pope, he said he didn't care about the pact of Paris. He said that climate change is not a problem and that he will do as he pleases. And that he will make the country he rules great.
This is the way kings behave.
Shouldn't a good king care for his people?
Should all kings be good?
I guess you are right, Lady Cassandra. Still, I am disappointed. Many people are disappointed. Can it be that this man doesn't understand the danger of climate change? Can he really be so stupid?
I understand you, don't think I don't. See, I have had my share of meeting kings. And they are as you say. Burly, obnoxious, and arrogant. They are stupid, in a certain way, but not so stupid in another.
Lady Cassandra, you are a prophetess. Can you tell me more about this? Why do kings do these things?
Well, yes, but I have to tell you a little story.
I would love to hear it.
So, let me see.... I already told you something of the story of Troy when the city was besieged by the Achaeans. And I told you of how the Acheans had built that big wooden thing that they had placed in front of the walls. And that the Trojans didn't know what it was and they thought it was a statue of a horse.
This is the story that everyone knows. It says that the Trojans demolished parts of the walls of the city to let the horse inside.
Well, this is what the story says. It is basically true, but there is more to it. A lot more. Let me ask you a question: do you think the Trojans were stupid?
I wouldn't say that. But I guess you know this better than me.
Yep. And I can tell you that they were not stupid. Oh, well, depends on what you mean. For people who would spend their time all clad in armor, exchanging blows with battle axes; well, you don't expect them to be very smart. But not stupid; I mean, how could it be that they demolished the walls to let this thing get in without worrying about what there was inside?
I had always wondered about that.
Well, the answer to the question has to do with what you were telling me.
About climate change?
Yes, about climate change. You were telling me about this stupid king of yours, the one with carrot-colored hair. You said he doesn't understand what the problem is. But I think it is not true. He does - at least his advisers know.
You think so? Why?
I am a prophetess, you know? Seriously, people do a lot of things that look stupid, but if you look carefully they are not so stupid. Let me go back to Troy. So, they say that the Trojans did something that doomed them - letting inside the Achaean horse. Stupid, right? Of course, if you think of "the Trojans" it is stupid. But if you think "some Trojans" then it may not be. But I have to tell you the whole story.
I would love to hear it, Lady Cassandra.
So, it all started when Hector was killed. He was Troy's best warrior and he was supposed to become the new king, to succeed his father, king Priam. Hector was a good man, overall, but not so smart, either. He was all up to fighting and upholding the honor of the Trojans. So, he went up to fight and he got killed by that big man of the Achaeans, Achilles.
That was bad for the Trojans; very bad, but the war went on. Achilles was killed by another son of Priam, that Paris I was telling you about, the one who had been so idiot to steal the wife of one of the Achaean Kings, this Helen, and so starting the whole circus. And then someone killed Paris, too. So, at this point, the oldest son of Priam took over; I mean the oldest still alive: Deiphobus, another idiot. He had this idea of marrying Helen after that Paris had died. Great idea, sure; and it did him quite some good! But let me go on.
So, after the death of Hector, the Trojans were still fighting; but some of them understood that the war wasn't going so well. But Deiphobus and the other big bosses said that those who were thinking that were defeatists and that Troy was winning. You know, it was not so easy for ordinary Trojans to understand what was going on outside the walls of the city. They only knew what the bosses were telling them. And they kept telling them, 'we are winning, there is nothing to be worried about, just keep on'.
It was the same for me. I was staying in the temple of the Goddess and I was supposed to spend my time making sacrifices and praying for the city of Troy. Boring, indeed. But I was a prophetess, you know, and I suspected that the war was not going so well.
At that time, I had befriended a priest of the temple of Apollo, his name was Laocoon. Nice man and if you ask me if I had been playing a little with him - you known what I mean - I would ask you what can a girl do when she is supposed to be a virgin priestess and there is nothing for her to do the whole day? So, we became good friends, indeed. One day, Laocoon came and he told me that Aeneas wanted to see me. This Aeneas was one of the big men of Troy. He was a warrior, but also a rich man with plenty of gold and slaves. So, I went to see him and we talked a lot. He was smart, I can tell you that.
Aeneas told me about how the war was going and I understood right away that the game was over for Troy. So, he asked me, 'Cassandra, you are a prophetess, can you tell me what we should do?' I told him, 'You don't need to ask a prophetess. We need to parley with the Achaeans before it is too late.' And he said, 'You are right, Cassandra. You will be the one doing that.' I looked at him, bewildered, and he laughed and he told me, 'aren't you a prophetess, Cassandra? You should have known what I was going to tell you.' These big men really have a twisted sense of humor. Anyway, he asked me to contact Odysseus, one of the Achaean kings, said to be the smartest of the lot.
Aeneas was no fool: I was a good envoy for Troy; a woman, a priestess, I could be seen as sort of neutral. And parleying was not going to be an easy task. The Achaeans were winning, they knew that and they wouldn't be appeased by just giving back to them that silly woman, Helen, that Paris had stolen from her husband. No, that wasn't going to work, no matter how beautiful Helen was said to be (and she was much overrated, this I can tell you). And the Achaeans knew that if they kept fighting, they could have had everything: not just Helen, but the gold of the city and its inhabitants as slaves. Still there was some space for a negotiation and that was my task. What would the Achaeans want in order to leave Troy standing and the Trojans alive? If we were willing to pay them a lot, maybe they would have accepted.
So, we freed an Achaean prisoner, officially he escaped, to tell Odysseus that a priestess of the Moon Goddess wanted to speak to him. And there came back a Trojan prisoner - again, officially he had escaped - and he said that Odysseus was waiting for the priestess in a certain place at night, at the rise of the moon. Which I took as a honor, because I was a moon priestess, as you know.
That was how I met Odysseus. I was accompanied by a bunch of Trojan warriors from Aeneas' retinue. It had been a mistake, as I understood later on, but Aeneas had insisted on that. Odysseus was there with some of his warriors, too. On both sides, we had these burly fellows armed to the teeth, looking at each other askance. But never mind that, I had learned some of the language of these Achaeans when I was a priestess in Babylon so we could understand each other. And Odysseus was a smart guy. He understood what I wanted and he said that it was still possible to find an agreement if the Trojans were willing to pay. And that he wanted to discuss the price with Aeneas in person. So, I went back to Troy and I told the story to Aeneas. And he said that he would see Odysseus and that I should keep my mouth shut about this story.
This is what I did. I told nothing to anybody about having met Odysseus, nor that Aeneas was seeing him at night. Days went by and I expected something to happen. I would have imagined to see Aeneas coming up in the central square of the city, standing on a pedestal, and telling people something like, 'Fellow Trojan citizens, we found an agreement with the Achaeans. If every Trojan is willing to sacrifice some of his wealth, then the city can be saved.'
But nothing like that happened. Quite the opposite: Prince Deiphobus came up in the central square of Troy and gave a speech to the Trojans saying that the honor of the city of Troy was not negotiable, that the Gods were with Troy, that the walls were solid, and that those stupid Achaeans were all but demoralized. Victory was all but certain for Troy, it was just a question of not listening to the defeatists among us. And he said that he was going to make Troy great again. I remember that Aeneas was with him, nodding and smiling as if he agreed on every word that Deiphobus was saying. It was weird, but what could I say?
It was at about this time that the big wooden thing appeared in the field in front of the city, the 'horse'. So, there was a lot of head scratching with the Trojans and what the hell was that? But I knew what it was: not for nothing I was a prophetess and I had studied the ways of the world. So, I went up to the walls, I looked at the supposed 'horse', and I said, 'look, that thing is a siege engine! We have to burn it down before it is too late." And there came up my friend, Laocoon, and he also said, 'look, you have to listen to Cassandra. She knows a lot of things, and she is wise. We must destroy that thing.' And some people understood what we were saying, because they knew that I was a priestess and I knew many things. And also Laocoon was known to be a smart person and people respected him a lot.
Then, disaster struck. I should have known what was going to happen, am I not a prophetess? But even prophetesses sometimes ignore things they wouldn't like to happen. So, we were in the middle of a public debate on how best to burn the wooden horse when, suddenly, some people came up and accused me of betraying the Trojans: they said that I had secretly met the Achaean king Odysseus at night. Then, they called up some of Aeneas' bodyguards and they testified that, yes, it was true. They had accompanied me to meet Odysseus at night. Laocoon tried to defend me, but people started saying that he was my lover and that we had defiled the temple of the Goddess. We had committed sacrilege and we couldn't be trusted in anything we said.
At this point, Hell broke loose, as you may imagine. I tried to say that it had been Aeneas who had sent me to meet Odysseus, but they took that as a confession of guilt. Things went kinetic, as you say in Ingliss, Laocoon was killed and I was lucky to be able to escape with my life. I took refuge in the temple of the Goddess and King Priam protected me; he was a good man even though he was too old to understand what was really going on.
So, I stayed put inside the temple and I can't tell you exactly what happened afterward. Maybe the Achaeans used the siege engine to smash open the walls of the city, or maybe it is true that the Trojans were so stupid to demolish the walls and let the 'horse' in. Whatever the case, when the Trojans understood the danger, it was too late. Troy went up in flames, lots of people were killed, those who survived were taken as slaves, including me -- I became the slave of the big boss of the Achaeans, King Agamemnon. Deiphobus, too was killed. In a sense, he got what he deserved: killed by King Menelaus, Helen first husband. You know the story? Helen told Menelaus where Deiphobus was hiding and Menelaus went in and hacked Deiphobus to pieces. And then, Helen undressed in front of Menelaus and she gave herself to him in that same room, with the floor still wet of Deiphobus' blood. At least this is what they told me - but I think it is true. I knew that woman. She was, well, in Ingliss you use this term, 'female dog', right?
It is right, we use a term with that meaning, Lady Cassandra.
They say that Aeneas escaped from Troy when the city fell, yes.
Not just him. Several Trojan notables; with their families, their gold, their slaves, their weapons. And not a single Achaean would raise a finger against them. Come on, they even had boats waiting for them to take them away from the mess; all the way to Italy. You see? It had been all prepared, can you imagine how much preparation it takes to put together a whole fleet for such a long travel? It was all planned from the first time when Aeneas met Odysseus, and I came to think that it had been even before I had spoken with Odysseus. It was a trap, a perfect trap. And the people of Troy fell in it. They were completely fooled!
You say that Aeneas betrayed the Trojans? But he was said to be so pious.
Pious, yeah, sure. And even the son of the Goddess herself; that was what was said of him. I think there is a world in your language, in Ingliss... the son of one of those ladies who are said to be dogs, right?
Well, yes. we use that term.
Yes, there are such people. There have always been. And the people of Troy were fooled. It was all agreed in advance. Even that I was to become the mistress of King Agamemnon, Aeneas had sold me as part of the deal. You see? Most of the people who kept saying that Troy was going to win the war understood perfectly well that it wasn't true. But they had to keep saying that Troy was going to be great again if they wanted to fool the Trojans. And they succeeded beautifully. They saved themselves and the other Trojans died or were enslaved.
Well, it is a way of seeing the story that I had never imagined. But it sounds true. And you think it is related to our times?
Yes, you were telling me about this king of yours, the one who has carrot-colored hair. You say that he denies that you have a problem?
That's what he does. People say he is not very smart.
Maybe he is not so smart, yes. He may be like Deiphobus, I mean, he may really believe that there is no such a thing as a climate change problem. But I bet he is not the only one. Am I right?
You are right. After all, you are a prophetess!
That was an easy prophecy! But I think that the people around him, around that silly king, I am sure they are lying. They know very well what's happening. And they are fooling him and many others. They have to if they want to save themselves.
You think so?
Yes, of course. You have been telling me that because of this 'climate change' a lot of people will die, right?
Well, I hope they won't....
You know better than that. You told me about seas rising, droughts, heat, storms and more. Do you think people won't die because of all that?
Yes, it is a possibility.
And those who will die will be the poor, right. Do you think your kings care about the poor?
Well, I guess, really, you are right, but.....
Your carrot-haired king may be part of the plot or not. It doesn't matter. But those behind him are surely planning to move to safer and cooler places. And leave the poor to drown or to starve - or to die of too much heat.
I am not sure I believe you, Lady Cassandra.
As if it were something new......
Oh, I am sorry, Lady. I didn't mean to offend you.
You are not offending me. After all, I am Cassandra, the prophetess nobody believes.
Really, I am sorry. I shouldn't have said that.
No, no.... don't worry. I understand you. Some things that I say are really difficult to believe.
But are you really supposed to be always right?
It is part of the curse of being a prophetess. You should know that; you told me that you are a kind of - say - prophet, with those 'models' you make. You told me that people don't believe in what you say.
It is part of the job, indeed. So, what should I do?
The Goddess may help you but, in the end, it is for the Moirai to decide.
You mean the fate?
Yes, in Ingliss you use that word. There is not much you can do. The Moirai, the Fate, will decide.
I see.....
You look sad. I am sorry.
You don't have to be sorry, it is not your fault.
Let's see.... actually, there is something you could do. Why don't you offer me a beer?
A beer? But you are a ghost, Lady Cassandra!
But I always loved beer. And there is no beer in Hades. I was thinking, well, the Goddess is very powerful and I could pray her a little....
That's strange, Lady Cassandra, you are not bluish and transparent anymore.
See? I told you that the Goddess is powerful.
Well, you look real now. That much I can say.
And I think I could drink a beer. Do you have beer, here?
Yes, we do. It would be a pleasure.
But, now that I think about it, don't you think I am dressed a little strange? Wouldn't people be surprised at seeing me?
Let me see... Linen tunic, woolen cape, golden arm rings, golden bracelets, and leather sandals. No, I don't think people will be surprised. You may be more surprised at seeing how some of my students are dressed!
So, let's go for that beer! Hades can wait.
I am not sure I believe you, Lady Cassandra.
As if it were something new......
Oh, I am sorry, Lady. I didn't mean to offend you.
You are not offending me. After all, I am Cassandra, the prophetess nobody believes.
Really, I am sorry. I shouldn't have said that.
No, no.... don't worry. I understand you. Some things that I say are really difficult to believe.
But are you really supposed to be always right?
It is part of the curse of being a prophetess. You should know that; you told me that you are a kind of - say - prophet, with those 'models' you make. You told me that people don't believe in what you say.
It is part of the job, indeed. So, what should I do?
The Goddess may help you but, in the end, it is for the Moirai to decide.
You mean the fate?
Yes, in Ingliss you use that word. There is not much you can do. The Moirai, the Fate, will decide.
I see.....
You look sad. I am sorry.
You don't have to be sorry, it is not your fault.
Let's see.... actually, there is something you could do. Why don't you offer me a beer?
A beer? But you are a ghost, Lady Cassandra!
But I always loved beer. And there is no beer in Hades. I was thinking, well, the Goddess is very powerful and I could pray her a little....
That's strange, Lady Cassandra, you are not bluish and transparent anymore.
See? I told you that the Goddess is powerful.
Well, you look real now. That much I can say.
And I think I could drink a beer. Do you have beer, here?
Yes, we do. It would be a pleasure.
But, now that I think about it, don't you think I am dressed a little strange? Wouldn't people be surprised at seeing me?
Let me see... Linen tunic, woolen cape, golden arm rings, golden bracelets, and leather sandals. No, I don't think people will be surprised. You may be more surprised at seeing how some of my students are dressed!
So, let's go for that beer! Hades can wait.


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My very clever friend Maddy came to my house today with this amazing dream catcher that she made. I was so blown away that the camera suddenly appeared in my hands before my head had even considered taking its photo!
The detailing that has gone into it AND the colour scheme is just sublime.
Gaaahhhh - if Miss Haversham was ever to turn into a dream catcher I think she would look like this.
AND cowrie shells - my sister and I were obsessed with finding them at the beach when we were little.
It's huge too. She is selling them here although I don't think this is up on the web yet. By the way, this is not a sponsored post, I am just so impressed and inspired my my friend and I thought you would like to see what she is up to.
In the meantime, your Christmas present is so near to completion. The final stages of a pattern always suprise me by how time consuming they can be. Thank goodness it is so much fun.
Lots and lots of love,
Kate. xxooxx.

subset: commoncrawl


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The deeper I dive into Windows 8's App Previews, the stranger it gets. There are half-complete apps, semi-useless apps, apps that promote commerce over your local content, and apps that make no sense at all. And then there's Xbox LIVE Games, which seems to break every rule in the book. It's fun, but bizarre.
To be clear, many Metro-style apps are horizontally-scrolling, multi-screen experience, much like Windows Phone 7's hubs. So when you launch these apps, you're generally staring at the leftmost part of that multi-screen experience. This can be demonstrated with the following mockup, which shows how what you're seeing onscreen is only part of the entire app user experience.
Xbox LIVE Games, available now in App Preview form in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, is a similarly designed Metro-style app. It features a horizontally-scrolling, multi-screen experience, like many of these apps. It sandwiches your own content between links to Microsoft's various (and really, there are too many of these things) online stores, as do the Music and Video apps. But from a navigational standpoint, Xbox LIVE Games is fairly unique. That is, when you launch the app, you don't start at the leftmost edge of that of that horizontally-scrolling, multi-screen experience. You start about a third of the way in.
A screenshot may help explain. Here's the default view in Xbox LIVE Games:
Looks obvious enough. But what's this? You can scroll to the right, normally, but you can also scroll ... to the left. So what you're really seeing, in mockup form, is the following:
Come on, Microsoft. This is not obvious, it's not good design, and it's inconsistent with virtually all other Metro-style apps you've made so far. (But not all. Xbox Companion, curiously, does the same thing.)
Complaints about the weird design notwithstanding, Xbox LIVE Games is an interesting front-end to the Xbox LIVE gaming activities that Windows 8 users will one day be enjoying along with, curiously, some Xbox 360-related functionality as well. It's sort of like the Games hub in Windows Phone except, again, that it weirdly draws in a lot of Xbox 360 content for some reason.
The following groups are available in this bizarre app:
Friends. Here, you'll see the avatars of the first several of your friends that are currently online. Tap the Show All box to see the full list of your online (and recently online) friends, also in avatar form.
Gamertag. In this group, just off to the left of the default app view, you'll find your Gamertag, first name, location, Xbox LIVE account type, and Gamerscore, as well as links to your achievements and an avatar customization utility. Your avatar displays your motto, as well, in a voice bubble.
The achievements interface lets you view your Xbox 360, Windows Phone, Games for Windows LIVE, and Windows 8 Xbox LIVE achievements by game or date, with the ability to sort between all achievements and unlocked achievements (those you've actually achieved).
You can also click on individual games using the box art or More Details link to see the landing page for that game in what's called the Marketplace (yet another front-end of Microsoft's online stores). This screen provides different capabilities depending on the title, but you'll see such things as a trailer movie, Buy Game and Play on Xbox links, lists of game achievements and extras, and more.
The Customize Avatar option is exactly what it sounds like.
Spotlight. This group functions as it does in the Windows Store: It's a place for Microsoft to highlight and promote games and other offers that it thinks you'll find interesting. It's also, sadly stocked with a couple of outright advertisements, which is a bit insulting, given the $50 per year fee I'm paying for my Xbox LIVE Gold subscription.
Game Activity. Here, you'll see a grid of the games you most recently played across all of the platforms on which Xbox LIVE is supported, in reverse chronological order (newest games first).
Show More does just that, presenting the entire list of Xbox LIVE games you've ever played on the Xbox 360 or newer, in my cases dating all the way back to 2005. In keeping with the "game activity" theme here, the games—each is represented by box art—can display messages about the activities that friends have done with each. So you may see something like "1 beacon," "2 online" or similar noted on individual games.
When you tap on an individual game, the display expands to accommodate more information, much as the Marketplace sections in the Music and Video apps do.
Most games provide a number of options, including Play, Play on Xbox, Buy Game, Game Details, or Play Trailer. (Not all are available with each game of course. Play only appears next to Windows 8 Metro-style games, for example. Play on Xbox only appears next to Xbox 360 titles.)
Windows Games Marketplace. This one is confusing considering Microsoft's message that Windows Store is THE only place where you can find Windows 8 apps and games. But I think it's fair to say that Microsoft really controls just one giant back-end service and that it exposes this service in various online stores—Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Windows Store, Windows Phone Marketplace, Zune Marketplace, and so on—depending on the situation. From what I can tell, Windows Game Marketplace is the place to go to find that subset of Windows games 8 that utilize the Xbox LIVE service and thus provide unique features like achievements. There's almost nothing there right now, just FX Pinball 2 and Solitaire. Neither of which actually supply achievements (yet).
Xbox Live Marketplace. Even more curious is this PC-based way to browse the electronically available library of Xbox 360 games. It provides different views, such as genres, Games on Demand, demos, indie, and arcade (for Xbox LIVE Arcade), and most oddly of all, you can browse, find, and purchase games ... for the Xbox 360. I guess you'd want to do this from Windows because it's a better experience than doing so on the console itself. But when you make the actual purchase, you need to start up your console in order to actually download and install the game. I've done it, and yes it does work.
Honestly, this app is kind of a bizarre mess. But it will make a lot more sense when more games are available for Windows 8, and it offers some interesting integration with the Xbox Companion app and the Xbox 360 that will probably please some gamers. I'll be watching this one closely to see how it evolves.


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In a few days the international community will be meeting in Rio de Janeiro, to hold the most significant environmental conference since the Rio Earth Summit of 1992. As the planet's ecosystems tremble under the weight of overconsumption, this conference surely provides one of few remaining opportunities for governments to take environmental issues seriously.
Will the world's leaders dare to think beyond the growth paradigm that lies at the root of our environmental crises? Will they be bold enough to constrain the overconsumption of natural resources or even acknowledge the problem of stagnating oil supplies? Sadly, history provides little grounds for confidence. What is more likely is that the conference will simply warm the climate further through an exchange of hot air disguised as genuine commitment.
The term 'sustainable development' became part of our political vocabulary as a result of the United Nation's publication of Our Common Future in 1987. It is this publication that gave rise to the popular understanding of sustainability as 'development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'
This definition was vague enough to produce an international commitment to sustainability in 1987, but it proved to be so vague that in practice it was widely construed to mean 'business as usual.' Of course, a definition that can mean anything means nothing at all, and today many people consider 'sustainable development' to be a term that does more harm than good, merely providing a veil behind which green-washers thrive.
The Rio Earth Summit in 1992 set out to give more content to the meaning of sustainability, and there were some encouraging advances. For instance, this conference established an international framework for dealing with climate change, which served as the basis for the Kyoto Protocol. But if that framework initially gave people hope, the Copenhagen Summit in December 2009 – in which the world agreed to sweep the elephant of climate change under the rug – justifies something approaching despair. Political rhetoric aside, it seems the world's addiction to fossil fuels will condemn us to inaction – or, in the case of Australia's Carbon Tax, to grossly insufficient action – come what may. We can be sure, however, that Mother Earth has a way of settling such issues for those who choose to ignore them.
The Rio Earth Summit also produced a major policy document called 'Agenda 21,' in which the world's leaders found the courage to state the obvious, namely, that 'the major cause of continued deterioration of the global environment is the unsustainable pattern of consumption and production, particularly in the industrialized counties.' On that basis the document maintained that all countries should 'promote patterns of consumption and production that reduce environmental stress,' and that 'developed countries should take the lead in achieving sustainable consumption patterns.'
Despite nothing of the sort occurring, these messages have been consistently reaffirmed on the international stage, although always at the level of rhetoric alone. When the World Summit convened in Johannesburg in 2002, changing consumption and production patterns was identified again as one of the 'overarching objectives' for sustainable development. No doubt we can expect more of these hollow commitments at Rio+20.
If nothing else, what these declarations and conferences acknowledge is that fundamental changes to Western-style consumption practices are one of the main preconditions to ecological sustainability. To some extent, 'simpler lifestyles' of reduced and restrained consumption must first emerge at the personal and community levels, where people exchange superfluous consumption for more worthwhile but less materialistic pursuits. However, to facilitate that transition, we also need macro-economic policies that respect the ecological limits to growth and which recognise that there is more to life than GDP.
Yet, in the face of Agenda 21, and despite mounting evidence of increasing violence against nature, more growth and higher consumption levels generally remain the unimaginative solutions to all our problems. It seems, then, that we need to be reminded of Einstein's insight that we cannot solve our problems using the same kinds of thinking that caused them.
Be that as it may, one issue that will be at the forefront of everyone's mind at Rio+20 is the fact that the global economy is looking increasingly fragile, especially the European economies. This will no doubt privilege short-term economic revival above long-term ecological challenges, but as our environment degrades further, that approach will prove to be something of a false luxury. There can be no healthy economy without a healthy planet.
In fact, even from an economic perspective, consuming 'natural capital' on a finite planet is hardly being economically prudent. That makes as much sense as a business selling off its key assets and treating this income as profit – a practice of dodgy accounting that might seem fine on paper until the shareholders are told the assets are all gone.
Put more vividly, today's global economy resembles a snake eating its own tail. At what point, one might ask, will the snake recognise that it is feeding upon its own life-support system?
Rio+20 presents us with a great opportunity – perhaps one of our last opportunities – to wake up to this tragic reality and begin developing fundamentally new economic systems. After all, if we do not change direction, we are likely to end up where we are going.
These are extremely challenging times, calling for bold and creative solutions to enduring problems. We need to start thinking differently about what constitutes 'the good life' and set about building new, highly localised, post-growth economies based on notions of sufficiency rather than excess. We should also see that it is in our own, immediate self-interest to do so. And if our governments remain entrenched in the economics of growth, as they promise to be, there will be no other way forward but to build the new economies ourselves, from the grassroots up, in the manner of Transition Initiatives.
That might be the real lesson of Rio+20.
Dr. Samuel Alexander is co-director of the Simplicity Institute and a lecturer in 'Consumerism and Sustainability' at the Office for Environmental Programs, University of Melbourne. The Simplicity Institute publishes papers on issues related to voluntary simplicity, peak oil, and degrowth, which are freely available at: www.SimplicityInstitute.org/publications. To join others exploring the practice and politics of the 'simple life,' please sign up to the Simplicity Collective.


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Android is the prime OS for developing applications in today for many reasons. The main reasons being that it is Open Source and Intuitive. In addition it uses Java for development, which is quite an easy language to get used to and develop in. This being said, a lot of you have great ideas for Android applications or applications in general but don't know where to start. This series will take you behind the scenes and introduce you to the software that will be your best friend while developing for android. On this journey we will start with a "Hello World" and move on from there to create a database driven application with a touch and scroll interface. The final result will look something like this:
Working with tools to develop Android applications will be your greatest asset as you will come to realize early on. All of the tools I use will be listed to make development speedy and efficient while still looking good along the way. At best you will need to acquire Eclipse, I recommend the Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers version as it is amazing for other types of development as well. The next tools you will get are the Android SDK, which allows you to hook the SDK into eclipse to reference its API and design an efficient functioning program. After that, this part is optional, look into DroidDraw which is essentially a GUI for designing the interface side of things so that you don't have to blindly hack your way through the Android SDK and Java jungle.
Eclipse is fairly straightforward to setup and start using the Android SDK, you just have to download a package to include the SDK to Eclipses referenced files. To do this we will go to Help and then to Install New Software. We want to click Add to be able to look up just Google's packages they want us to download. In the location field enter https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse and click OK. Check both boxes and proceed to the next screen. You should make sure Android DDMS and Android Development Tools are both listed before going on. Accept license agreements and click Finish. You will have to restart Eclipse but after that your hook in is ready to be setup.
Android SDK is fairly straight forward to download for any system but updating it and hooking it into Eclipse is the key. After downloading the zip file (I'm using Windows/Linux but Windows examples will be default), unzip it to your C Drive and label the folder it will enter AndroidSDK. After entering said folder double click on the setup icon which will take you to the screen that shows you all the updates available for download. Download the latest updates and proceed to the top option Virtual Devices where you will make your first emulator. NOTE: if an update list does not show you will have to set the setup client to use http instead of https. When creating the emulator the name doesn't matter and all you really need to set is a version you want to develop on. We will pick Android 1.5 from the list because if you decide to market an application you can reach more people and for the API's we will use we don't need 2.1 or 2.2. After setting up your emulator you are ready to have the two meet for the first time.
Going into Eclipse you will click the Window button and navigate to the Preferences option and click it. Select the Android option on the left and there will appear in the right side of the window a blank screen with a browse button. Click the button and find your AndroidSDK directory in the C drive and select that folder. Clicking Apply will make the blank window you were looking at show many different versions of the Android SDK and if you are able to see it you are on the right track. Click OK and we are ready to start developing.
NOTES: DroidDraw will be spoken about in another post in this series and we will use it to make part of our interface and the other half we will code ourselves. For everyone else developing in Linux I have found an awesome post that will describe how to set up your environment for Ubuntu and can possibly be transitioned for Red Hat and the like. Anyone who is having trouble feel free to let me know the issues you are having and I will try my best to not leave you behind before the next post.
If you can't wait for the next post, browse the examples on the Android Developers website.
Articles used for reference:
Android Developers – Installing ADT Plugin
Continue on to Part 1, Hello world.


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Wine by the Glass
Over the years since I first started working as a wine server, wine by the glass (known in the biz as "WBTG") programs have grown in size and popularity. But there are a few things to watch out for in "by the glass" wines, particularly at large corporate chains.
The following guide illustrates the issues and will help make your next glass of wine much more delectable.
Know the Mark Up
A single glass of a wine is typically priced at the wholesale cost of the entire bottle. That means a wine you drink for $9 a glass would retail by the bottle for $12 (with the typical 30% markup from wholesale). While this is the baseline, I've seen restaurants across the street from one another vary in as much as $4 per glass of wine—where the local casual eatery was charging $13 per glass and the behemoth fine dining restaurant charged $17 for the same wine!
Solution: Buy by the bottle. Without being an expert in every wine, the safest bet is to buy a bottle, which tends to be a better value. If the wine is available by the glass, you can feel comfortable asking for a taste before committing to an entire bottle. A bottle contains enough wine for four to five glasses of wine, a comfortable amount for a two-person party.
No Standard Pour Size Exists
A six-ounce pour is a typical glass of wine; however, many establishments prefer a five-ounce pour as it allows them to serve five glasses of wine per bottle, versus four. My opinion is that a five-ounce pour has no benefit for the guest because it creates confusion as to the value of the serving.
Solution: Ask and make an impact. Ask your server before ordering what the serving size is. Comments like these make it to managers who can change the restaurant's policy. I worked at a corporate steakhouse who changed their pour size from five ounces to six because of overwhelming demand from regular diners.
An Open Wine Spoils Quickly
Most restaurants do not use open wine preservation systems. The wines I pour at the beginning of service are often open from the night before. On larger wine lists (25+ selections by the glass) some wines can be open for multiple days. The wines that are left open the longest tend to be ordered the least: esoteric varietals, high-priced wines, sweet wines, and sparkling wines.
Solution: Order smart. Use this simple rule: if you're at a French restaurant, French wines move the quickest. Steakhouse? Bold red wine. A restaurant in Washington Wine Country? Washington wines.
Corporate Brand Placement Dominates
Major wine brands pay thousands of dollars a year to partner with corporate restaurants. Partnerships are decided at an executive level, wherein the individual restaurants in the chain have limited, and in some cases, no control over their wine lists. To fortify their already dominant position on the corporate chain's wine lists, wine brands will run giveaways and offer cash rewards to the servers who sell the most of their product. This in turn encourages servers to push a product based on an incentive rather than a good pairing with your meal.
Solution: Dine local. Dine at local restaurants who have control over their wine buying choices. Ask your server what's special, what's popular and what their favorite two wines are. This will help you hammer down what sells the most. Be willing to try something new, and if you're not sure, ask for a taste of the wine before buying the glass.


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SEOUL » South Korean rapper PSY says he'll unveil his much-awaited follow-up to "Gangnam Style" next month and celebrate it with a huge concert in Seoul.
PSY made the announcement Friday on YouTube, where his "Gangnam Style" video has a record 1.39 billion views.
PSY said he'll release the new single on April 13 and hold a concert at a soccer stadium that evening. He's dubbed the concert "Happening" and says it will be broadcast live on YouTube.
The rapper, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, has been on a worldwide tour since his viral video made a global splash in July, with its catchy tune and much-imitated horse-riding dance. He recently released a "Gangnam Style" remix and performed at the inauguration ceremony for South Korea's new president.
Online: http://tinyurl.com/a34v24h


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Live Nation is bringing gospel to the arena.
PraiseCleveland.com – Today, the company announced that they will be bringing four of the most successful gospel artists of all time – Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin and Israel Houghton, collectively known as "The King's Men" – to the same stage for the very first time with a fall tour that will run from Phoenix, AZ September 16 to Brooklyn's brand new Barclay's Center October 14.
The quartet can collectively boast over 100 major awards – Grammy, Dove, Soul Train, BET, NAACP, Stellar, and American Music Awards – and have sold out concerts all over the world.
"The opportunity to partner with Live Nation is a GREAT honor and responsibility," said Franlin in a statement. "The genre of gospel music having this kind of massive marketing support is monumental, and the talent on this tour makes it a must-see event! I'm very proud of this relationship and I expect it to be a new groundbreaking platform for inspirational entertainment."
Tickets will be available through Live Nation at ticketmaster.com beginning Friday, May 11, while Citi card members have access to a presale beginning Tuesday, May 8.
"In the Gospel world, this is like Springsteen, McCartney, Prince and Elton hitting the road together," said Kevin Morrow, Senior Vice President of Touring at Live Nation, in a statement. "It's going to be a once in a lifetime event for music fans."
The King's Men tour dates are included below.
Sun, Sep 16 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre Fri, May 11
Wed, Sep 19 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre Fri, May 11
Sat, Sep 22 Concord, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre Fri, May 11
Tue, Sep 25 Dallas, TX Verizon Theatre At Grand Prairie Sat, May 12
Wed, Sep 26 Houston, TX Reliant Arena Sat, May 12
Fri, Sep 28 Atlanta, GA Chastain Amphitheatre Fri, May 11
Sun, Sep 30 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena Fri, May 11
Tue, Oct 02 Tampa, FL USF Sun Dome Fri, June 1
Thu, Oct 04 Norfolk, VA Constant Convocation Center Fri, June 8
Sat, Oct 06 Washington DC Verizon Center Fri, May 11
Sun, Oct 07 Philadelphia, PA Liacouras Center Fri, May 18
Tue, Oct 09 Cleveland, OH Wolstein Center Fri, May 11
Wed, Oct 10 Chicago, IL United Center Mon, June 18
Fri, Oct 12 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre Sat, May 19
Sun, Oct 14 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center Sat, May 12
article courtesy of Billboard.com
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Park officials say 53-year-old John N. Anderson of Grapevine was visiting the park with his family.
The Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report Saturday morning about a man falling off the rim near El Tovar Lodge.
Rangers were able to find the man and began CPR, but they say efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
Grand Canyon spokeswoman Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski said Tuesday that it's unclear what caused Anderson's fall.
An investigation is being conducted by the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner.


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7 Nights | EXOTIC EASTERN CARIB
About Freeport, Bahamas
You will visit the following 4 places:
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos is a small archipelago nation known primarily for tourism and as an offshore financial centre. It's home to incredible beaches, abundant marine life, stunning tropical wetlands, luxury resorts and fine dining. There's so much to do and discover here in paradise. Quite simply, it's the best of the Caribbean!
Freeport is the main city on the beautiful Grand Bahama, an island in the northwest Bahamas. It's revered for its white-sand beaches, sparkling turquoise waters and abundance of nature activities. Take time to appreciate the island's exceptional natural beauty when exploring the longest underwater cave system in the world, towering indigenous pine trees and outstanding flora and fauna.
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast, including The Wash. The county town is Norwich. Norfolk is the fifth largest ceremonial county in England, with an area of 5,371 km². Of the 34 non-metropolitan English counties, Norfolk is the seventh most populous, with a population of 850,800 (mid 2008). However, as a largely rural county it has a low population density, 155 people per square kilometre Norfolk has about one-thirtieth the population density of Central London, the tenth lowest density county in the country, with 38% of the county's population living in the three major built up areas of Norwich (259,100), Great Yarmouth (71,700) and King's Lynn (43,100).
Little San Salvador
Little San Salvador Island, also known as Half Moon Cay, is one of about 700 islands that make up the archipelago of The Bahamas. It is a private island, owned by Holland America Line, which uses it as a port of call for the cruise ships it operates in the region. Prior to being owned by HAL, Little San Salvador was the private island of Norwegian Cruise Line. The island is also a significant nesting area for waterfowl. Activities offered on the island include swimming, sunbathing, scuba diving, jet-skiing, cycling, and snorkeling. Deep-sea fishing, parasailing, glass-bottom boat rides, and nature walks also are available. A variety of water toys are available for rent, including Hobie catamarans, Sunfish sailboats, windsurfing sailboards, and kayaks.


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Being an Indian, how many of you know how many states India is comprised of? Don't start googling yet. Hmm well, we have 29 states and 7 union territories. Each state is like a different flavoured chocolate in a basket full of goodies, you would want all of them, but won't know where to start. Out of the seven union territories, Diu, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar are islands. It's almost impossible to maybe understand the diversity that India is known for all over the world, from where you are reading this article right now. Even then, let's go back in time and explore the history of Andaman and Nicobar Islands today and see what juices you've got in there!
Continue reading History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and 20 Rupees Indian Banknote


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The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is now accepting applications for County Attorney. Today the Board officially accepted the resignation of Bill Montgomery and set forth a process for filling the vacancy.
State law assigns the Board of Supervisors responsibility for appointing a new county attorney in the case of a vacancy. The process for making that appointment is not defined by state law but was agreed upon today by a unanimous vote of the Board. The process is as follows:
The applicant must be a Maricopa County resident over the age of 18; a licensed attorney; and, like Montgomery, a registered Republican. Those interested in applying may download and complete the required questionnaire.
Applicants should send the completed questionnaire, a letter of interest, a resume, and any letters of recommendation to the Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, 301 W. Jefferson, 10th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003 or email it to email@example.com. All documents filed with the Clerk's Office will become public records. Applicants are subject to a background check. As stated, applications will only be accepted through Wednesday, September 18 at 5 pm.


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SAOC 31. Prehistoric Investigations in Iraqi Kurdistan R. J. Braidwood and B. Howe, with contributions by F. R. Matson, H. E. Wright, Jr., H. Helbaek, and C. A. Reed.
Purchase Download Terms of Use
In the archaeology of the ancient Near East, much attention has recently been devoted to the earliest phases and origins of settled village life. The transition from man's nomadic and food-gathering stage to that of agriculture, animal domestication and sedentary communities has been studied most systematically by a pioneer group of research scholars under the direction of R. J. Braidwood. His explorations of the last decade have been reported upon in various preliminary articles. Even before the present volume appeared, the basic contribution and the stimulating influence of the Braidwood school were evident in archaeological literature and field-work. The volume under review deals with the aims, methods, preliminary results and problems of three campaigns in Iraqi Kurdistan (1948, 1950-51, 1954-55). It does not offer a final excavation or exploration report, since some of the materials have not yet been studied in detail; but it contains a valuable series of essays about special aspects of the project which was undertaken as a first major attempt to identify the earliest village-materials and their immediate predecessors (see OIP 105, ed.). The archaeological and general chapters to the book are the work of R. J. Braidwood and Bruce Howe. They explain the scene and progress of the field-work; they give a survey of the sites excavated and the materials collected (chapters I-V). The middle part of the book consists of contributions by the scientists who took an essential part in the field research: F. R. Matson writes on ceramic analysis and carbon 14 dating; H. E. Wright Jr. on climate and prehistoric man in the Eastern Mediterranean (a comparative study concerned with the entire Levant); H. Helbaek on the palaeo-ethnobotany of the Near East and Europe (an excellent chapter, most informative for the archaeologist in search of specific statements and analyses of early "agricultural" materials); and Charles A. Reed on animal domestication in the prehistoric Near East (again very instructive, often with an element of reproach directed to field archaeologists who neglected to recognize or salvage zoological evidence in their excavations). The concluding chapters review the results in a more general setting so far as they can be defined in chronological, "environmental" and general cultural terms and periods. [From a review by Machteld J. Mellink in the American Journal of Archaeology 65 (1961) 195-96].
- Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 31
- Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1960
- Pp. xxviii + 184, 29 plates
- Paperbound 9 x 11.25 in / 23 x 29 cm
- $25.00


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Folsom Concrete Pros
The Number One Concrete Company in Folsom, CA!
The professionals at Folsom Concrete offer top-of-the-line concrete services, ensuring that customers' projects go off without a hitch. They have over 20 years industry experience and the knowledge and expertise necessary to deliver quality craftsmanship that surpasses all expectations. Whether one needs residential resurfacing or commercial paving, Folsom Concrete Pros has the right solution for any project--large or small. Their fair pricing and polite customer service puts them above the competition. Folsom Pros is the best choice for concrete work.
Folsom is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is commonly known for Folsom State Prison, the song "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash, as well as for Folsom Lake. The population was 80,454 at the 2020 census. Folsom is part of the Sacramento−Arden-Arcade−Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. == History == Folsom is named for Joseph Libbey Folsom who purchased Rancho Rio de los Americanos from the heirs of San Francisco merchant William Alexander Leidesdorff, and laid out the town called Granite City, mostly occupied by gold miners seeking their fortune in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
American River Canyon North, American River Estates, Amos P. Catlin Park, Bar J Ranch, Briggs Ranch, Broadstone, Canterly at Folsom Ranch by Tri Pointe Homes, Cherry Glen, Cirby Ranch, Cirby Side, Crescent Ridge Village, Cresthaven, Crown Village, Diamond Oaks, Eastwood at Folsom Ranch by Tri Pointe Homes


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*I would have written "New Beginnings" but David tells me that this is an oxymoron as all beginnings must be new and I don't like being called a moron, oxy or otherwise.
Two major bits of news you may have missed if you are not my friend in real life or on FaceBook:
The birth of Eitan Harari on 21 Iyyar 5772 in Sroka Hospital Be'er Sheva. Eytan is the long awaited brother of Tamar. He is named in honor of my father Abraham Rich. The connection is from the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur service where we ask God to listen to pleas of our father Abraham - the first to advocate for God's mercy on sinners - to intercede for us with the Almighty. The words in Hebrew: עוד יזכר לנו אהבת איתן אדוננו are translated (in my Birnbaum siddur) "O Lord, remember still the love of faithful Abraham". But in the Hebrew, Abraham is not named but instead called Eitan which can be translated as steadfast or strong or firm or sound or secure, you get the idea. It is, of course, our wish that our Eitan grow into the kind of man who will do justice to his namesakes, both my personal father and the father of our nation.
We moved to Jerusalem! |


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Early in development, infants learn to solve visual problems that are highly challenging for current computational methods. We present a model that deals with two fundamental problems in which the gap between computational difficulty and infant learning is particularly striking: learning to recognize hands and learning to recognize gaze direction. The model is shown a stream of natural videos and learns without any supervision to detect human hands by appearance and by context, as well as direction of gaze, in complex natural scenes. The algorithm is guided by an empirically motivated innate mechanism—the detection of "mover" events in dynamic images, which are the events of a moving image region causing a stationary region to move or change after contact. Mover events provide an internal teaching signal, which is shown to be more effective than alternative cues and sufficient for the efficient acquisition of hand and gaze representations. The implications go beyond the specific tasks, by showing how domain-specific "proto concepts" can guide the system to acquire meaningful concepts, which are significant to the observer but statistically inconspicuous in the sensory input.
This blog reports new ideas and work on mind, brain, behavior, psychology, and politics - as well as random curious stuff. (Try the Dynamic Views at top of right column.)
Monday, November 19, 2012
How a simple innate bias might guide visual learning
For years computer programmers have been trying to design algorithms that even remotely approach the ability of young infants in their first few months of life to rapidly learn to recognize complex objects and events in the their visual input, particularly events like hand movements and gaze direction. Even the most powerful probabilistic learning models, as well as connectionist and dynamical models, do not result by themselves in automatically learning about hands, detecting them, paying attention to what they are doing, and using them to make inferences and predictions. Ullman et al. develop a model that incorporates a plausible innate or early acquired bias, based on cognitive and perceptual findings, to detect "mover" events. It leads to the automatic acquisition of increasingly complex concepts and capabilities, which do not emerge without domain-specific biases. After exposure to video sequences containing people performing everyday actions, and without supervision, the model develops the capacity to locate hands in complex configurations by their appearance and by surrounding context and to detect direction of gaze. Here is their abstract:
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A Doctorate Degree, PhD, or Doctoral Program, is the highest level of academic degree awarded by a university. We commonly associate a doctorate degree with the field of medicine and the abbreviation 'M.D', or medical doctorate. Another common reference is the Ph.D., or Doctor of Philosophy Degree.
There are other different types of doctoral degrees though. This includes the DBA degree, and several reasons why earning one might be just what the doctor ordered. A doctorate typically signifies that the individual is qualified to teach at the college level or work in a specific field of profession. There are two major types of doctoral degrees; the research oriented degree, and the professional doctorate degree.
Doctorate Degrees are sometimes referred to as terminal degrees which means it is the final degree available in graduate school for students wishing to study in the chosen subject. In most fields, the terminal level degree is the doctor of philosophy, or PhD, but in some fields, it's a professional degree, such as a doctor of medicine or law degree.
No, a PhD and Doctorate Degree is not the same thing. Doctoral programs encompass both PhD degrees and other 'Doctor of' degrees. While these may be equivalent academically, there are differences to learn between PhD degrees and other degrees such as the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) or Juris Doctor (JD). Essentially, the differences appear in terms of the type of research and the focus for each degree - whether it is research focused (PhD) or professional practice focused (e.g. DBA degree, JD degree, PsyD degree).
Doctor of Philosophy, or PhD degrees, are research-based academic degrees which are awarded in many fields. A PhD degree is granted to students who have conducted publishable, original research in a peer-reviewed academic publication. Additionally, to get to that research, doctoral candidates have to complete a substantial amount of coursework beyond the master's degree level. Many holders of this degree might pursue academic careers as college professors, scholarly writers and researchers. While the most common research degree is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, other research doctorates are available.
A professional doctorate degree is awarded in fields where both research and study are required, but the type of research is 'applied'. This means it is designed to be used for professional purposes, such as to solve a real-world problem in their domain. These can be seen in psychology, medicine, engineering, education, law and business. Unlike the PhD, some professional doctorates while considered terminal degrees within their specific profession, may serve as a prerequisite or platform to a research degree in that field.
Note that the Ed.D., D.Min., D.B.A. and M.D. are both research and professional doctorate degrees. Original research for a dissertation may have a combination of both theory and practical components.
PhD programs are available within various fields of study. In each of these disciplines, there may be doctorate programs in several specialties and concentration areas. This may allow you to tailor your program to your interests and career goals.
DID YOU KNOW? About 3 percent of all jobs in the United States were in occupations that typically require a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) or first professional degree, such as in law or medicine. In May 2013, the median annual wage for those jobs was $97,550 according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.
About 3 percent of all jobs in the United States were in occupations that typically require a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) or first professional degree, such as in law or medicine. In May 2013, the median annual wage for those jobs was $97,550 according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A higher level of research doctorates, called Higher Doctorates, are sometimes awarded to those whose research is of a very high standard. These higher doctorates are also bestowed if a university wishes to formally acknowledge an individual for their achievements or contributions in the field. A Higher Doctorate typically signals that you have authoritative standing in your field.
Earning a doctoral degree may require a major investment of time and energy, but at the same time, climbing that mountain may give you excellent results and recognition. Just remember to do some homework as early as college. Choosing a bachelor's degree from an accredited university, taking coursework during the preliminary degree(s), and making sure you are up to the commitment are some of the building blocks to earning your PhD degree or doctorate degree in any field.
While each doctorate degree has its own requirements, doctorate degree curriculum typically involves coursework plus research. In the event you are in a four-year doctoral degree program, you may need to complete the following steps.
Other doctoral programs may involve a capstone project and supervised placement in your field. Format may vary depending on the type of doctoral degree you are pursuing. However, usually the courses are taken first. Rigorous examinations follow subsequent to test a candidate's knowledge. A dissertation topic is proposed and the latter part of one's doctorate program may be spent in research - collecting, recording, analyzing data, testing a hypothesis or whatever is pertinent to the field of study. Programs may vary, so follow up directly about individual programs to learn more.
DID YOU KNOW? To receive a doctoral degree, students must often complete a dissertation, a lengthy research project that contributes new knowledge to the field. Occupations that require a doctoral degree include animal scientists, computer and information research scientists, and physicists.
To receive a doctoral degree, students must often complete a dissertation, a lengthy research project that contributes new knowledge to the field. Occupations that require a doctoral degree include animal scientists, computer and information research scientists, and physicists.
Typically, a doctorate degree program can take about 4 to 6 years to complete after the bachelor's degree. If you hold a master's degree, you may be able to complete your doctorate in about 3 years of full-time study - or you may be able to find a dual masters and phd program. However, this is going to depend on the institution and the type of program. In some universities, it may be possible to find part-time doctoral degree programs, a factor that might extend time to completion.
Doctoral applicants were previously required to have a master's degree, but many programs accept students immediately following undergraduate studies. Many programs gauge the potential of a student applying to their program and grant a master's degree upon completion of the necessary Ph.D. course work.
Doctoral degrees are not required in every field, which doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it. However, if you are thinking ahead to plan your scholastic path, or pave the way to a potential career, it is important to find out whether a doctoral or professional degree is required for professional practice. Is a PhD degree ultimately best for you? According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the answer may be 'yes' if any of the below statements are true.
Yes, some schools do offer online PhD programs. These may allow you to pursue your education without compromising your schedule. Generally, online programs will make course readings, syllabi, assignments and lectures available through an online platform. Online doctoral programs may also use chatrooms, discussion boards and email to encourage communication with professors and classmates. Fully online PhD programs are not always available. However, if this is the case, you might find hybrid doctoral programs which combine web-based courses with intensives on campus. Contact schools to learn more. You can even find online PhD programs that don't require you to take a GRE!
Accreditation in the United States focuses on institutions and programs. Institutional accreditation takes into account the integrity of the graduate school (faculty, mission, achievement). Specialized program accreditation takes into account courses and educational standards. Accreditation may help you evaluate the quality of a PhD program or school. It may also be an important factor if you are interested in federal aid.
An institution can be accredited nationally by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. These national agencies recognize 6 regional organizations in turn.
Standards for PhD program accreditation differ, and you are wise to see what they are in your field. For instance, the American Psychological Association (APA) accredits doctoral programs in psychology (PhD and PsyD), but look to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. Visit the US Department of Education or individual accrediting bodies websites to learn more.
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With its 2160 litres of liquid helium about to run out, the Herschel Space Observatory will, by the end of March, become just another piece of space junk.
In January's Physics World, Steve Eales, a University of Cardiff astronomer who leads one of the telescope's largest surveys, explains how this space facility has advanced our understanding of star and galaxy formation.
Sub-millimetre wavelength astronomy -- the kind of astronomy that the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory has been undertaking since blast off in May 2009 -- lets us observe fundamental astronomical events, reaching parts of the universe that optical light cannot.
As Eales writes, "In peering into the big clouds of gas and dust that are the "maternity wards" of stars and then detecting the sub-millimetre light emitted from the dust around the newly formed stars, Herschel is doing much to study star formation, which is one of astronomy's 'big questions'."
Held in place by the gravitational forces between Earth and the Sun, at some 1.6 million kilometres from us, Herschel has been able to detect faint sub-millimetre radiation from 10 billion years back in time.
Eales remarks on the pace at which our understanding of the universe is advancing thanks to the observatory, which was named after the German-born astronomer William Herschel, who discovered infrared radiation and the planet Uranus, with help from his sister Caroline.
Recalling whole nights spent looking for one new galaxy with its sub-millimetre predecessor -- the James Maxwell Space Telescope -- Eales describes how he recently turned up 7000 new galaxies in barely 16 hours using Herschel data.
The 2160 litres of helium that Herschel blasted off with has kept the observatory cold enough to ensure that the heat given off by its own machinery doesn't confuse its readings.
This March, however, the helium will run out and Herschel will be defunct. But, as Eales writes, "the treasure trove of Herschel data will be picked through by astronomers for years to come."
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Materials provided by Institute of Physics (IOP). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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The last couple days, The Chickpea has been trying to prove his manliness to me.
I think it all started a couple weeks ago, when I caught him watching Ally McBeal reruns. When he saw me in the doorway, he quickly changed the channel to baseball. This raised my suspicions because I know he doesn't like baseball...
Then a few days later, I caught him scrapbooking while listening to Sarah McLachlan. When I asked him what he was working on, he quickly sputtered something out about it being a gift for his mom.
Since then, The Chickpea has been walking around in a faux-leather biker jacket and talking about his motorcycle, which he's nicknamed "The Destroyer." He's been trying to grow a mustache, but the poor thing is just going to be baby-faced forever, so he's been wearing a fake one (at first glance, you would have no idea it's him! He's a dead ringer for Tom Selleck!). The other day he came into the room, wearing a flannel shirt, jeans, suspenders, and hiking boots (and the mustache), a hammer in his hand, and asked "Is there anything around the house that you need fixed? Because that's what I do. I fix things. Because I'm a man." I told him "I know you're a man, sweetie! You don't need to fix anything to prove that to me." He then proceeded to go into the bathroom and start hammering at things, just to seem like he was being helpful.
All of this has been very cute to watch and I've just been letting him do his thing. Then one day, he said "I'm making dinner tonight! I'm a 'Seitan & Caulipots' kind of guy and I need something more substantial than stuffed squash or chocolate chip cookies!" I wasn't going to stop him from giving me a break in the kitchen (though, I did end up helping him with the caulipots. His arm got tired from all of the mashing). The result? The Chickpea did a fantastic job of making dinner (I can't get over how talented he is)! We feasted on a sumptuous seitan mushroom roast that was juicy and full of flavor with flecks of crimini mushrooms throughout. Served alongside Chickpea Caulipots and covered in Miso Mushroom Gravy on a cool fall night, this meal was so satisfying and definitely proved to me what how manly The Chickpea can be. Although, he did want to listen to Taylor Swift while we cooked...
- 2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 2/3 cups vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
- 2/3 cup chickpea flour
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- olive oil spray
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic cloves a few times and then add the mushrooms. Pulse until the mushrooms are in small pieces, no bigger than ¼ inch long/wide. Pour the mushrooms and garlic into a small bowl and add the other liquid ingredients. Mix to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a wooden spoon to mix them together as much as possible. Once you can no longer use your spoon, use your hands to knead the dough until it comes together into a ball.
- Set out 2 pieces of aluminum foil, each about 16-18 inches long. Lay them out so that one overlaps the other, horizontally, by about 5-6 inches. Lightly spray the aluminum foil with olive oil spray. Turn the ball out onto the aluminum foil and use your hand to roll it into a log shape, about 12-13 inches long.
- Fold each side of the aluminum foil over the top of the log until it is tightly wrapped. Fold over the ends so the log is tightly sealed.
- Place the wrapped log on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 60-70 minutes. Rotate the log 3-4 times while it's cooking to ensure that it cooks evenly. Use a fork to test the roast, once it feels pretty firm, it is done. Let the roast stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Technique adapted from this recipe.
First time here? Check out the rest of my Chickpea Love Affair Vegan MoFo Entries!
Keepin' It Kind is participating in the Walk for Farm Animals to give hope to millions of abused and neglected farm animals! Please support me by making a Donation today. Together we can make the world a more compassionate place for animals! Learn more about Why I am Walking for Farm Animals and join our team!
Photography by Chris Miller


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Every day, illustrator Maria Fabrizio posts a news-inspired image on her Wordless News blog. This week, all of her pictures will be inspired by stories she hears on Morning Edition.
Today, Greg Allen's story caught her ear: It's about how parents of children with a rare seizure disorder want access to a marijuana extract to treat it. This variety of the drug, known as Charlotte's Web, has very little of the primary component that produces the high. Families have been moving to Colorado to get access to the therapy, and Florida is considering legalization.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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You can call the Poteet Police Department and speak to the Animal Control Officer at (830) 742-8123.
You are only allowed to have 4 pets in the City of Poteet.
You can pay the impound fee to release your pet or you can pay to surrender your pet to the city. Call (830) 742-8123 for more information.
You have 10 days to fix the issue addressed in your letter. If you need more time call (830) 742-8123 and ask to speak to a code enforcement officer.
Contact City Hall at (830) 742-3575 and they can assist you with the registration and inspection of your rental unit.
To complete an alarm permit for the City of Poteet, click HERE. Once you have completed the alarm permit, you will need to submit the permit to City Hall located at 491 Avenue H, Poteet, Texas 78065 and pay the appropriate alarm permit fee. If you have any questions, please contact City Hall at (830) 742-3575.
A junk vehicle is any vehicle which is disabled, partially dismantled, inoperable, has expired registration, expired inspection, is an attractive nuisance and has not moved in some time.
Call City Hall to receive information for bulk and or brush pickup at (830) 742-3575.
The current population of the City of Poteet is 3,446 people.
No, the City has no public transportation.
In the case of life-threatening emergency, we will dispatch a fire truck along with an EMS unit to provide extra assistance when needed.
Burning small piles of leaves or small limbs is prohibited. Further information on burning can be found on the city's website under Burning Ordinance 11012017-01.
The Poteet VFD can assist with the installation of smoke alarms in residences of citizens who cannot afford them. This service is limited to private residences only. This is done by appointment only and can be scheduled by calling the station at 830-742-3213, sending an email to email@example.com or contacting us through our Facebook page.
In order to join the Poteet VFD, an individual must complete an application for membership, successfully pass a background check and be voted into the department by the membership at a business meeting. We are always looking for additional help and would be glad to meet those interested. We conduct our business meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the fire station located at 530 Avenue H. Those interested should complete an application and bring it with them to the meeting (You must be present at a meeting to be considered for membership).
The Poteet VFD does not go out to fill swimming pools. The water provided to the fire department is for fire protection purposes only.
The Poteet VFD does not handle bees unless it is an emergency situation and they are harming someone. If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1 and request the Fire Department. If the situation is not an emergency and a resident just wants the bees removed, he or she will need to call a licensed beekeeper.
This is done by appointment only and can be scheduled by calling the station at 830-742-3213, sending an email to firstname.lastname@example.com or contacting us through our Facebook page.
Fire reports may be obtained from the Poteet VFD by sending an email to email@example.com
Safely pull to the right and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed. Be aware that, at times, there may be more than one emergency vehicle that needs to pass.
The park is located at 785 8th St. Poteet, TX 78065.
The rental cost is $130 without the kitchen and $160 with the kitchen which must be paid in full to reserve the pavilion on desired date. This amount includes the $80 refundable deposit that will be refunded after inspection and approval. Please call City Hall at (830) 742-3547 for more information.
The park is open seven days a week from Sunday thru Friday 8:00 am – 11:00 pm, Saturday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm.
Alcohol can be served or consumed at the park pavilion with security provided at an extra cost based on quantity of attendants. Please call City Hall at (830) 742-3574 for more information.
For a copy of a Police Report, Please contact the Records Department at (830) 742-8123 or come by the Poteet Police Department at 182 Fifth Street Poteet, Texas 78065. Between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday - Friday.
No, the Poteet Police Department does not unlock vehicles, however you may contact the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office at (830) 769-3434 and the Sheriff's Office can assist you.
For vehicle impound information please call 830-783-9038 seven days a week 9:00 am -5:00 pm. Impound fees are $230 within the first 24 hours (Impound storage $130 & Tow Fee is $100) plus a Daily fee of $20 per day after first 24 hours. A certified letter of abandonment will be sent after 4th day adding a $25 fee to the amount (Certified Letter will be sent to the address on the registration and the lien holder, if applicable) method of Payment: EXACT CASH, Cashier's Check, Money Order, (debit or Credit card with a 5% fee)
For the vehicle to be released from the impound the following 4 are required:
1. Valid Driver's License,
2. current Insurance Binder,
3. Current vehicle registration,
4. The registered owner MUST be Present in order to remove a vehicle from the impound yard Or a notarized letter from the registered owner authorizing a person to take custody of an impounded vehicle.
If a vehicle cannot be driven out of the impound yard legally and/or safely, a tow service or a trailer/dolly, that can support the vehicle's weight may be used. No chains/straps or ropes will be allowed.
The City of Poteet is not responsible for items left in your vehicle.
To file a complaint against any member of the Poteet Police Department a complaint form must be completed, notarized and returned to City Hall. The complaint will then be given to the City Administrator / Mayor to review the validity of the complaint. Please click HERE to access a PDF fillable complaint form.
The City of Poteet has a person On-Call 24 hours a day. If you have any water related problems after 5:00 pm weekdays, Saturday, Sunday, or a Holiday please contact (830)742-3574 for assistance.
If you notice dirty water, turn on the faucet nearest your water meter and let it run until it clears up. If the problem persists, contact City Hall at (830)742-3574 and someone will be sent to your home to investigate further.
If you have a water leak or notice one in the road or in a City right of way, contact City Hall at (830)742-3574 immediately. Someone will be sent to the location to cut off water and make necessary repairs. If it is after 5:00 pm weekdays, Saturday, Sunday, or a Holiday contact (830)742-3574.
If you suspect you have a water leak, make sure there is no running water inside or outside your home, check to see if you meter is turning. If the meter is turning, the leak is on the customers side and you will need to contact a plumber to make the necessary repairs.
If you receive an unusually high water bill, check your water meter, toilets, and faucets both inside and outside your home for leaks. If you do not have any leaks, contact City Hall (830) 742-3574. Explain that you have an unusually high water bill. They will look up your previous month's consumption and if there is a discrepancy someone will be sent to your home and check the reading on your water meter. The new reading will be compared to the reading on your current bill. If there is an error in the readings an adjustment will be made to your account.


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Vivica A. Fox's ex-fiance Slimm is speaking out on why the couple called off their engagement. And he's claiming it has nothing to do with their 20-year age difference.
He told TooFab:
"She's a good woman, it's just one of those situations where in life people outgrow each other. I'm highly intelligent, very wise and one thing I hate is negativity and drama, I hate arguing, and I value communication no matter what the problem may be. So as in any relationship, tension can build up and I finally had to walk away. I was only in it for love and it just didn't work out. Even though she was older than me the age difference didn't play a part."
Vivica has yet to comment on the split and has been Tweeting as if all is well.
Vivica A. Fox & Slimm Break Up…Again?
Vivica Reveals What 20 Years-Younger Fiance Brings To The Table [VIDEO]


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Punarpuli Saaru/ Kokum Rasam
I was at the local Indian store couple of weeks back, doing my weekly groceries. I picked up a pack of SWAD toor dal from there; When I was emptying the dal into a container at home, I realized that it smelled bad.... like something bitter. "Old stock, maybe" I thought and ignored it.... noting in my mind to wash the dal one extra time before using it. I made sambhar out of the same dal the next day- I washed it a couple of times extra, just like I had noted. I served myself some rice and sambhar for lunch, and I couldn't believe how it had turned out!!! It was bitter, and it smelled bad.... It tasted nothing like sambhar!!! I tried SWAD toor dal from a lot of places after that, but they all tasted bad. I was wondering if any of you have had similar experiences with toor dal from your local grocery stores?!?!?!!!!
Anyway.... ever since the "smelly dal" episode, I have been looking for dal-less recipes. Here is one such recipe- "Kokum Rasam". Kokum, known as punarpuli in Kannada, has many medicinal values. Read more about Kokum here. Punarpuli rasam is a traditional mangalorean recipe. Its fast, easy to make and healthy too!!! Here is the recipe....
7-8 Kokum, Wet/Dry
1 tsp Jaggery
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin/Jeera
3-4 Dry red chilies, low to medium spiced
4-5 Curry Leaves
1-2 Garlic flakes (optional)
1-2 tsp Ghee/Oil
A generous pinch of Hing
Salt as per taste
- Add enough water to the kokum and boil well, for about 7-10 mins; If you are using dry kokum, soak it in water for about 30-40 mins before boiling.
- Add salt, jaggery and boil further for a couple of more minutes; Adjust ingredients according to taste; Add extra water if the rasam turns out too strong and tangy.
- Heat ghee in a pan and temper with mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves, garlic, hing and red chilies; Serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy!
Tip: This rasam could also be had as is, like a soup!


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I'm finding my zone...
Do you like the color on the right?
My loft in NYC is being painted this color as we speak...
the entire thing.. walls, ceiling... I'm not there to inspect it...(fingers crossed)
I was so tired of "white" with NYC dust attached...
I think it fits my CALM... and the creative forces... ;-)
OH! another question....
Does anyone know a great sewing Retreat center that has space to sew,
place to sleep,
cooks for you?? (has food available on site?)
anywhere in the u.s.


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TOKYO >> A tropical storm moved out of Japan on Sunday after lashing the country with rain and wind, leaving one person dead and prompting evacuation orders for more than 1 million residents near swollen rivers.
Tropical Storm Halong also disrupted land and air traffic and injured dozens of people as Japan began its annual "Obon" Buddhist holiday week.
Originally a typhoon, Halong was downgraded to a tropical storm as it approached the southwest coast and made two landfalls — over Shikoku Island and Hyogo prefecture in western Japan. It exited over the Sea of Japan from the northern coast near Kyoto on Sunday evening, and was expected to lose further strength over the next 12 hours.
The storm was off the northern coast of Wajima City, about 250 miles northwest of Tokyo, on Sunday night.
Japan's Meteorological Agency lifted a heavy rain alert for Mie prefecture in central Japan, and evacuation orders for most residents in the region and other areas were withdrawn. About 200,000 people were still subject to evacuation in some areas, down from about 1.2 million earlier Sunday.
In Iwate prefecture in northern Japan, a 78-year-old man was found dead late Saturday after plunging into a swollen irrigation canal at his farm, local police said. In the western prefecture of Wakayama, a surfer went missing.
Public broadcaster NHK said 78 people were injured in the storm.
Halong brought powerful rain and wind to Tokyo, where an annual fireworks show scheduled for Sunday was called off.
More than 200 flights were canceled, stranding thousands of holidaymakers at airports around the country. The storm also flooded about 330 homes and damaged 70 others in western Japan.
The meteorological agency said the storm, packing winds of up to 60 miles per hour, was expected to dump more rain in eastern and northern Japan by Monday morning, and warned of landslides and floods.
Japan was also shaken Sunday afternoon by a magnitude-6.1 earthquake that struck off the northeastern coast. There was no danger of a tsunami, and there were no immediate reports of any injuries or damage. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said nuclear facilities in the area remained intact.


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the film forum library tutorial contact |
Salmon Season Extended on Columbiaby StaffDaily Sun News, April 7, 2014 |
Columbia River anglers will get at least six more days to catch hatchery-reared spring chinook salmon below Bonneville Dam under an agreement between Washington and Oregon.
Under that decision, sport fishing will remain open through April 14 in the lower river, except for a one-day closure on April 8 to accommodate a possible commercial season.
The initial sport-fishing season was previously scheduled to close today, April 7.
The six-day extension will give anglers another chance to catch hatchery-reared spring chinook still available for harvest, said Ron Roler, Columbia River policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
"Fishing conditions on the Columbia River have been pretty rough in recent weeks," Roler said. "These extra fishing days will give anglers some time to make up for the high, turbid river conditions that have held the sport catch well below the harvest guideline."
Prior to the season, fishery managers projected the catch through April 7 at 12,000 chinook, including a maximum of 10,100 upriver fish. They now estimate anglers will catch and keep just 3,000 spring chinook by that date.
The area open for spring chinook fishing extends from Buoy 10 upriver to Beacon Rock for boat and bank anglers, and to the fishing boundary below Bonneville Dam for bank anglers only. When the fishery is open, anglers can retain one marked, hatchery-reared adult chinook salmon as part of their daily limit.
Anglers fishing for spring chinook may also retain shad and hatchery-reared steelhead, although all wild steelhead not marked as a hatchery fish by a clipped adipose fin must be released.
Roler noted anglers may get another chance to catch hatchery spring chinook later this spring, when fishery managers update the run forecast.
Approximately 227,000 up-river fish were projected to return to the Columbia River this year, but the fishery has been managed with a 30 percent "buffer" to guard against overharvesting the run.
"If the fish return at or above expectations, we will look at providing additional days of fishing on the river later in spring," Roler said.
The fishing extension in the lower Columbia River does not affect the spring chinook season above Bonneville Dam, currently open through May 9.
learn more on topics covered in the film
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'The Big Bang Theory's' Halloween "Holographic Excitation" Clips: Howard's Feeling a Bit Blue
All Hallow's Eve will soon approach, and who better to get excited about all the costumed possibilities than the cosplay nerds of 'The Big Bang Theory"? But all is not well between our favorite couples, even in matching costumes, so what do the new clips reveal about Thursday's "The Holographic Excitation"?
It's Halloween for 'The Big Bang Theory' once again, and as per usual, the nerdy level of costume and cosplay are present. The current season has tended to be all about the couples, so you know what that means: couple's costumes! Yes, the bane of all singlehood's existence.
The newly returned-to-earth Howard Wolowitz and his lovely bride Bernadette seem to have the least amount of trouble picking out a costume choice, having perfectly recreated down to the skin tone Papa Smurf and Smurfette! Meanwhile, Leonard and Penny have a bit of trouble matching as Albert Einstein and a hot cop, but none more so than Sheldon and Amy!
In the clip below, you'll see Howard and Bernadette first up, with Howard feeling more than a little down since he returned to Earth from space, and having lost a bit of what made him special. Sheldon and Amy on the other hand, in another clip, can't seem to agree on anything they might have in common enough to dress as! So what are the alternatives?
Check out the new clips from 'The Big Bang Theory's' Halloween episode "The Holographic Excitation" below, and tell us what you think in the comments!


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Published inMystic Minds·PinnedMember-onlyWe're All Wearing Masks, And I Can't Wear Mine AnymoreI've spent so many years being inauthentic that I have no tolerance for inauthenticity now — Wearing masks has become a daily routine for many of us. We wake up each morning and, almost instinctively, slip into the roles we believe will earn us approval and acceptance. In the workplace, it's suppressing opinions to fit expectations. Socially, it's adopting personas for acceptance. Even within the family…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
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Published inMystic Minds·PinnedMember-onlyInner Peace Is Not Something You Find. It's Something You CreateOtherwise, it won't last — It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that someday, somehow, external forces will align, and our lives will finally get better. We often pin our hopes on external factors such as landing the perfect job, finding a soulmate, or achieving financial success. We think these milestones will serve…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
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Published inMystic Minds·4 days agoMember-onlyDon't Disconnect From Yourself To Connect With Someone ElseWhat happens when our pursuit of connection leads us down a path of compromise? — The desire to connect is hardwired into our DNA. We crave acceptance, validation, and a sense of belonging. From the earliest moments of our lives, we seek out connection — from the comforting touch of a caregiver to the shared laughter of childhood friends. It's a fundamental human need, as…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published inMystic Minds·Feb 21, 2024Member-onlyThe Question I Always Ask Myself When I Feel Blocked AgainThere's always, always a reason — Now and then, I feel blocked. It's like hitting a wall — I have no energy, and the mere thought of doing anything productive feels like climbing Mount Everest. Before, when this feeling hit me, I'd get frustrated and beat myself up over it. …Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published inMystic Minds·Feb 16, 2024Member-onlyIf Your Ego Is Panicking, That's A Sign You're on The Right PathThe ego always panics right before a breakthrough — Have you ever felt like you're caught in a tug-of-war between the person you are and the person you aspire to be? I certainly have. That's because, with each stride towards growth and change, we're essentially challenging the existing narrative of who we are and what we're capable of achieving…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published inMystic Minds·Feb 12, 2024Member-onlyAn Open Letter To My Body"There were times when I didn't treat you as kindly as I should have" — Our bodies hold so much. Every time we don't take care of ourselves, every time we suppress something, every time we push through exhaustion or ignore our pain, our bodies continue to support us, silently carrying the weight of our experiences and emotions. …Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published inMystic Minds·Feb 9, 2024Member-onlyPeople Want To Know Your StoryWe're all craving depth and vulnerability — When I started writing three years ago, I had this unconscious idea that no one would be interested in my personal lessons and experiences. I simply didn't think people would care to hear about my journey. After all, in a world filled with countless voices striving to be heard, why…Self5 min readSelf5 min read